The United States House of Representatives Page Program appoints
high school juniors to provide administrative support to House operations at
the United States Capitol in Washington, DC.
Prospective House pages may be nominated by their representative. At this time,
there are 72 page positions, and Republican Members of Congress appoint 46 of
these young men and women.
Pages serve in one of four terms: a five-month fall semester
(September-January), a five-month spring semester (January-June), or a three-to-four
week summer session. Applicants for the school year sessions must be at least
16 years of age at the time of service, be in their junior year of high school,
and have a cumulative GPA of a ‘B’ average or better. Applicants for the summer
program must also be at least 16 years of age at the time of service, have a
GPA of a ‘B’ average or better, and be willing to serve for approximately one
month during the summer before or after their junior year of high school. The
definition of a ‘B’ average is a 3.0 on a 4 point scale, or an 85 or better on
a 100 point scale.
Candidates must submit an official high school transcript to
verify the cumulative GPA requirements. Only grades in the following subjects
will be counted: English, science, mathematics, social studies and foreign
language. Electives will not be counted. Additionally, applicants must provide
a resume of extracurricular activities, Social Security number, signed parental
consent form, a 50 to 100 word essay on why they want to be a Republican page,
three letters of recommendation, and a letter of support from their sponsoring
Republican Member of Congress. As a general rule, only one nominee is permitted
per Member of Congress, except for party leadership.
House pages live at the Page Residence Hall on 501
First Street. The pages agree in writing to abide
by a strict Code of Conduct which includes a curfew of 10 PM on weeknights and 12
midnight on Friday and Saturday, and are supervised by a resident
manager and five proctors who reside on the premises. There are separate floors
for males and females, and each floor has a community room with a television
and a microwave. The triple rooms are furnished with twin beds, night stands,
dressers, desks and chairs. Each room has a large walk-in closet, a study area,
telephone, a small refrigerator, private bathroom, and air conditioning. Pages
also have access to a laundry room in the basement.
The dress requirement for males is a navy blazer,
long-sleeved white shirt, dark grey slacks, black socks, black shoes, and the
standard-issue tie. The requirement for females is a navy blazer, long-sleeved
white blouse, dark grey non-slit skirt or dark grey pants, black shoes,
neutral, black or navy hose, and the standard-issue tie. Women’s accessories
must be white, navy or grey. Pages walk almost 20 miles a day, and page alumni
advise wearing comfortable shoes. Backpacks are prohibited, thus page alumni
suggest large purses for women to carry books and other items.
Pages work an average of 40 hours per week, and are paid
approximately $1236.33 gross per month, with an automatic deduction of $400 to
pay for the cost of the dorm and five dinners weekly. Pages are responsible for
transportation to and from Washington,
their uniform (with the exception of the standard-issue tie), breakfast and
lunch on weekdays, weekend meals, school supplies, and other expenses.
Additionally, a one-time refundable deposit of $100 is required for the dorm.
During the school year, House pages attend the House
Page School
in the Library of Congress from 6:45 am,
with five 40-minute classes. Pages are typically dismissed from school at about
11:30 unless the House convenes
earlier than noon, in which case the
school day is condensed. Pages are also required to participate in Washington
Seminars, which are trips around Washington
followed by an activity. Five courses are selected from the following curriculum:
American, British or World Literature, or Humanities; Algebra II/Trig,
Trigonometry/Pre-Calc, or Pre-Calculus; Physics or Chemistry; US History of
Government and Politics; and Intermediate or Advanced French or Spanish.
First-year language courses are not available nor are Advanced Placement
classes.
The workday begins immediately after the end of the last
class or 9:00 AM for summer pages, and
extends to at least 5:00 PM. If the
House is in session later than 5:00 PM,
pages continue working. The pages serve primarily as messengers delivering
legislative material between the various buildings of Capitol Hill. During the
course of the day, pages accumulate points for deliveries, and those with the
most points may be excused early when the House goes into late-night sessions.
Pages are provided Capitol ID badges which allow them to
access sensitive areas such as the floor of the House and the House
Intelligence Committee room, and gain an intimate knowledge of the Capitol
surpassed only by the Capitol Police. Noteworthy pages may be assigned to
long-term page posts with the Speaker, in the Cloakroom,or as a documentarian.
Pages with the United States House of Representatives are
provided with a unique opportunity to live in Washington
DC and gain extraordinary first-hand
experience with the legislative process. For more information about the
Congressional Page Program or to request an application, call our Washington,
DC office at (202) 225-3915 and ask for the
Page Program Coordinator.